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Alnus incana

Table of Contents

Details
Ethnobotanical Use
General Uses
Synonyms
Common Names
Subtypes (subspecies, varieties, subvarieties, forms)
Germination/Propagation
Distribution
Links to other databases
Genome
Scientific Literature
Phytochemical Profile
Gallery
Contributors
Collections

Details Top

Internal ID UUID644038ba3ce61821419785
Scientific name Alnus incana
Authority (L.) Moench
First published in Methodus : 424 (1794)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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Important notice
  • Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
  • Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
  • Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
  • Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.

No documented, verifiable ethnobotanical monographs or peer-reviewed reports specifically for Alnus incana (L.) Moench that record infusions, decoctions, tinctures, macerations, or poultices are readily accessible in the compiled scholarly, historical, or reputable herbal compendia necessary to support an accurate, sourced account.

General Uses Top

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Common products:
- Timber (lumber) for interior furniture, joinery and millwork, and wood pulp for high‑quality printing and tissue paper.
- The species is harvested for firewood and high‑quality charcoal used in metallurgy.
Industrial and craft applications:
- Alder fiber is processed into chemical pulp for paper and board, often from short‑rotation plantations.
- Veneers and plywood are produced for interior panelling and furniture because the wood bonds well and has a light colour.
- Bark and heartwood contain condensed tannins (≈12 % dry weight) that are extracted for vegetable leather tanning and for natural brown dyes on protein fibres.
- Alder pulp is employed for specialty papers such as cigarette and filter papers due to its fine‑fiber structure.
Colorants and tanning:
- Alder bark extracts provide a stable brown dye for textiles and meet leather‑industry specifications for vegetable tanning.
Wood and fiber:
- The wood has a density of 0.50–0.60 g cm⁻³ with low shrinkage and moderate strength, suitable for interior joinery.
- Pulp fibre averages 1.5–2.0 mm with ≈22 % lignin, enabling efficient kraft or sulphite pulping.
Properties relevant to use:
- Low density and shrinkage minimise distortion during drying and machining.
- Bark tannins are condensed proanthocyanidins, giving good affinity for protein fibres and leather.
- The low resin content of the wood reduces smoke emissions when burned.
- A. incana is a model for actinorhizal nitrogen fixation; its reference genome (~0.95 Gbp) is deposited in NCBI and used for comparative genomics.
Standards and regulation:
- Alder timber is covered by European structural‑timber grading standards (EN 338) and EU Timber Regulation (EU 995/2010); the wood may be FSC or PEFC certified.
- Tannin extracts must meet ISO 18722 (Leather – Determination of tannin content) and comply with the EU Leather Regulation on chemical restrictions.
- Alder‑derived biomass is accepted under the EU Renewable Energy Directive for renewable fuel production.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- The fast‑growing pioneer species is harvested on 10–15 year rotations, yielding ~12 m³ ha⁻¹ biomass, sequestering 5–7 t CO₂ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and improving soil nitrogen via actinorhizal fixation.
- Sustainable sourcing is supported by EU Timber Regulation, FSC/PEFC certification, and its use in riparian restoration and soil‑stabilisation projects.
- The species is recommended for afforestation programmes that aim to enhance soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Betula alnus var. incana L. Sp. Pl. : 983 (1753)
Betula incana L.f. Suppl. Pl. : 417 (1782)
Betula incana var. minor Tourr. Chlor. Lugd. 27. 1785
Alnus incana var. bipinnatifida (Brenner) Tzvelev Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 34: 72 (20 June 2002).
Alnus incana var. pinnatifida Regel Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 13(2): 157 1861
Alnus incana f. subargentata Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 234 1911
Alnus incana f. dubia Callier Jahresber. Schles. Ges. Vaterl. Cult. 69(2): 78 1891
Alnus incana f. microphylla Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 234 1911
Alnus incana f. subcordata Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 234 1911
Alnus incana f. subsericea Callier Jahresber. Schles. Ges. Vaterl. Cult. 69(2): 78 1891
Alnus incana f. argyrophylla Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 235 1911
Alnus incana f. microcarpa Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 235 1911
Alnus incana var. ovalis Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 235. 1911
Alnus incana var. glaucophylla Callier Ill. Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 135. 1904
Alnus incana f. oxyloba Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 236 1911
Alnus incana f. pinnatisecta Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 236 1911
Alnus incana f. subcordifolia Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 236 1911
Alnus incana f. brachyphylla Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 236 1911
Alnus incana f. crataegifolia Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 236 1911
Alnus incana var. bornmuelleri Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 236. 1911
Alnus incana var. obtusifolia Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 236. 1911
Alnus incana var. pseudospuria Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 237. 1911
Alnus incana f. microconus Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 237 1911
Alnus incana f. acutiloba Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 237 1911
Alnus incana f. cordifolia Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 237 1911
Alnus incana f. flavescens Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 237 1911
Alnus incana f. blyttiana Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 237 1911
Alnus incana f. pendula C.K.Schneid. Ill. Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 135 1904
Alnus incana var. pendula (C.K.Schneid.) Bean Trees Shrubs Brit. Isl. 1: 182 1914
Alnus glutinosa var. incana (L.) Pers Syn. Pl. 2: 550 1807
Alnus incana var. ovata Regel Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 13(2): 156. 1861
Alnus incana var. angulata (Aiton) Willd. Sp. Pl. 4: 336 1805
Alnus incana var. pinnata (Lundmark) Willd. Sp. Pl., ed. 4 4: 336. 1805
Betula incana var. angulata Aiton Hortus Kew. 3: 339. 1789
Alnus incana f. acuminata (Regel) Regel Prodr. 16(2): 189 1868
Alnus incana var. argentea Norrl. ex Gürke Pl. Eur. 2: 52. 1897
Alnus incana var. acuminata (Regel) Regel Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 38(2): 434 1865
Alnus incana var. alpestris Brügger Jahresber. Naturf. Ges. Graubündens n.s., 29: 154. 1886
Alnus incana var. arcuata Skarman Bot. Not. 1857: 1.
Alnus incana var. borealis Norrl. Fl. Karel. Oneg. 151. 1871
Alnus incana var. confusa Brenner Meddeland. Soc. Fauna Fl. Fenn. 18: 182. 1892
Alnus incana var. glabra Blytt Norges Fl. 2: 405. 1874
Alnus incana var. hypochlora Callier Jahresber. Schles. Ges. Vaterl. Cult. 69(2): 76. 1892
Alnus incana var. leptophylla Callier Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 27: 149. 1918
Alnus incana var. microconus Neumann Kongl. Svenska Vetensk. Acad. Handl. Overs.: ?. 1889
Alnus incana var. microjula Grütter Schriften Konigl. Phys.-Okon. Ges. Konigsberg 1895: 8.
Alnus incana f. monstrosa Dippel Handb. Laubholzk. 2: 165 1892
Alnus incana var. orbicularis Callier Deutsche Bot. Monatsschr. Beilage: s.p. 1892
Alnus incana var. ovalifolia Durand & Pittier Bull. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belgique 21: 237 1882
Alnus incana f. pallida Dippel Handb. Laubholzk. 2: 165 1892
Alnus incana var. parvifolia Regel Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 13(2): 158. 1861
Alnus incana f. pinnata (Lundmark) H.J.P.Winkl. Pflanzenr. IV, 61: 121 1790
Alnus incana var. sericea Christ Pflanzenleben Schweiz 47, 132. 1879
Alnus incana var. subrotunda Callier Jahresber. Schles. Ges. Vaterl. Cult. 69(2): 78. 1892
Alnus incana var. tomentosa Blytt Norges Fl. 2: 405. 1874
Alnus languinosa Gilib. Exerc. Phyt. 2: 402. 1792 (1792)
Alnus incana var. intermedia (Schrad. ex Regel) Nyman Consp. Fl. Eur. 671. 1881
Alnus incana var. oblongifrons Callier Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 237. 1911
Alnus incana var. argentea Norrl. Not. Sallsk. Fauna Fl. Fenn. Forh. 13: 68 1871
Alnus februaria var. incana (L.) Kuntze Taschen-Fl. Leipzig : 239 (1867)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English grey alder
English speckled alder
Spanish aliso dorado
Spanish aliso gris
Spanish aliso cano
Arabic ألنيس إنكانا
atj atospiatikw
Azerbaijani boz qızılağac
Belarusian Вольха шэрая
Bulgarian бяла елша
Catalan vern pilós
Czech olše šedá
Welsh gwernen lwyd
Danish grå-el
Danish gråel
Danish hvid-el
Danish hvidel
German grau-erle
German grauerle
Estonian valge lepp
Estonian hall lepp
Basque haltz zuri
Persian توسکای خاکستری
Finnish harmaaleppä
French aulne blanc
French arcoce
French aulne rugueux
French aulne de montagne
Hebrew אלנוס לבן
Croatian bijela joha
Upper Sorbian Šěra wólša
Upper Sorbian hórska wólša
Hungarian hamvas éger
Armenian լաստենի
Icelandic gráelri
Italian ontano bianco
Japanese セイヨウハンノキ
Georgian შავი მურყანი
koi Руд ловпу
Lithuanian baltasis alksnis
Lithuanian baltalksnis
Latvian baltalksnis
Macedonian сива евла
Macedonian бела евла
Norwegian Bokmål gråor
Dutch grijze els
Dutch grauwe els
Dutch witte els
Norwegian Nynorsk gråolder
Norwegian Nynorsk gråor
nv kʼish
os Урс фæрв
Polish olcha szara
Polish olsza szara
Romansh ogn grisch
Russian Ольха белая
Russian Ольха серая
Russian Елоха
Russian Серая oльха
Russian Серая Ольха
se leaibi
se dábálaš leaibi
Samogitian baltalksnis
sjd ле̄ххьп
Slovak jelša sivá
Slovenian siva jelša
sma liejpie
smj liejbbe
smn leibi (muorâ)
smn leibi
sms rääʹnesleäʹpp
Swedish vanlig gråal
Swedish lapsk gråal
Swedish hasselal
Swedish alder
Swedish gråal
Turkish boz kızılağaç
udm Пурысь лулпу
Ukrainian Вільха сіра
vro valgõ lepp
Chinese 灰桤木

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Name Authority First published in
Alnus incana subsp. incana L. Unknown
Alnus incana subsp. kolaensis (N.I.Orlova) Á.Löve & D.Löve Bot. Not. 114: 51 (1961)
Alnus incana subsp. rugosa (Du Roi) R.T.Clausen Cornell Univ. Agric. Exp. Sta. Mem. 291: 8 (1949)
Alnus incana subsp. tenuifolia (Nutt.) Breitung Amer. Midl. Naturalist 58: 25 (1957)

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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No variety added yet.

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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No subvariety added yet.

Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Asia-temperate
    • Caucasus
      • North Caucasus
      • Transcaucasus
    • Siberia
      • West Siberia
    • Western Asia
      • Turkey
  • Europe
    • Eastern Europe
      • Baltic States
      • Belarus
      • Central European Russia
      • East European Russia
      • North European Russia
      • Northwest European Russia
      • South European Russia
      • Ukraine
    • Middle Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Switzerland
    • Northern Europe
      • Denmark
      • Finland
      • Føroyar
      • Great Britain
      • Ireland
      • Norway
      • Sweden
    • Southeastern Europe
      • Albania
      • Bulgaria
      • Greece
      • Italy
      • Romania
      • Yugoslavia
    • Southwestern Europe
      • France
      • Spain
  • Northern America
    • Eastern Canada
      • Labrador
      • New Brunswick
      • Newfoundland
      • Nova Scotia
      • Ontario
      • Prince Edward Island
      • Québec
    • North-central U.S.A.
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Minnesota
      • North Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Northeastern U.S.A.
      • Connecticut
      • Indiana
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New York
      • Ohio
      • Pennsylvania
      • Rhode Island
      • Vermont
      • West Virginia
    • Northwestern U.S.A.
      • Colorado
      • Idaho
      • Montana
      • Oregon
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
    • South-central U.S.A.
      • New Mexico
    • Southeastern U.S.A.
      • Maryland
      • Virginia
    • Southwestern U.S.A.
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Nevada
      • Utah
    • Subarctic America
      • Alaska
      • Northwest Territorie
      • Nunavut
      • Yukon
    • Western Canada
      • Alberta
      • British Columbia
      • Manitoba
      • Saskatchewan

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000945749
UNII P09DN3VD6F
Canadensys 3676
USDA Plants ALIN2
Tropicos 3600002
INPN 81570
Flora of Italy 251
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30106706-2
The Plant List kew-6417
Plantarium 2291
Missouri Botanical Garden 277814
PFAF Alnus incana
PaleoBotany 2115
Open Tree Of Life 791133
Observations.org 6360
NCBI Taxonomy 3516
NBN Atlas NBNSYS0000003836
Nature Serve 2.161464
IUCN Red List 194472
IPNI 30106706-2
iNaturalist 75377
GBIF 2876388
Freebase /m/047bq7
WisFlora 2486
FEIS plants/tree/alninc
EPPO ALUIN
EOL 1145865
Elurikkus 2676
Calflora (Californian flora) 9664
USDA GRIN 2453
Wikipedia Alnus_incana

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
Accession Assembly
Name Level Submitter Released Coverage Size
GCA_965122795.2 dhAlnInca1.hap1.2 Chromosome WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE 2026-04-25 68 491.12 Mb

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Commodity risk assessment of Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos plants from the UK Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P EFSA J 03-May-2024
PMCID:PMC11066761
doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8803
PMID:38707495
Phytochemicals from Bark Extracts and Their Applicability in the Synthesis of Thermosetting Polymers: An Overview Szmechtyk T, Małecka M Materials (Basel) 30-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11084627
doi:10.3390/ma17092123
PMID:38730929
Cell-TIMP: Cellular Trajectory Inference based on Morphological Parameter Raj P, Gupta H, Anantha P, Barman I bioRxiv 22-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11071304
doi:10.1101/2024.04.18.590109
PMID:38712120
A Geometric Morphometrics Approach to the Study of Natural Variations and Hybrid Detection in Populations of Alnus incana (L.) Moench and Alnus rohlenae Vít, Douda and Mandák Marković M, Vidaković V, Popović Z Plants (Basel) 30-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC11013130
doi:10.3390/plants13070993
PMID:38611522
Chemical Composition and Mechanical Properties of Wood after Thermal Modification in Closed Process under Pressure in Nitrogen Grinins J, Sosins G, Brazdausks P, Zicans J Materials (Basel) 22-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC11012288
doi:10.3390/ma17071468
PMID:38611982
Bottom‐up rather than top‐down mechanisms determine mesocarnivore interactions in Norway Cano‐Martínez R, Thorsen NH, Hofmeester TR, Odden J, Linnell J, Devineau O, Angoh SY, Odden M Ecol Evol 07-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC10920318
doi:10.1002/ece3.11064
PMID:38463636
Commodity risk assessment of Ligustrum ovalifolium and Ligustrum vulgare plants from the UK Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Civera AV, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P EFSA J 07-Mar-2024
PMCID:PMC10918603
doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8648
PMID:38455154
Worldwide forest surveys reveal forty-three new species in Phytophthora major Clade 2 with fundamental implications for the evolution and biogeography of the genus and global plant biosecurity Jung T, Milenković I, Balci Y, Janoušek J, Kudláček T, Nagy ZÁ, Baharuddin B, Bakonyi J, Broders KD, Cacciola SO, Chang TT, Chi NM, Corcobado T, Cravador A, Đorđević B, Durán A, Ferreira M, Fu CH, Garcia L, Hieno A, Ho HH, Hong C, Junaid M, Kageyama K, Kuswinanti T, Maia C, Májek T, Masuya H, Magnano di San Lio G, Mendieta-Araica B, Nasri N, Oliveira LS, Pane A, Pérez-Sierra A, Rosmana A, Sanfuentes von Stowasser E, Scanu B, Singh R, Stanivuković Z, Tarigan M, Thu PQ, Tomić Z, Tomšovský M, Uematsu S, Webber JF, Zeng HC, Zheng FC, Brasier CM, Horta Jung M Stud Mycol 27-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC11003442
doi:10.3114/sim.2024.107.04
PMID:38600961
The genus Fomitopsis (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) reconsidered Spirin V, Runnel K, Vlasák J, Viner I, Barrett MD, Ryvarden L, Bernicchia A, Rivoire B, Ainsworth AM, Grebenc T, Cartabia M, Niemelä T, Larsson KH, Miettinen O Stud Mycol 22-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC11003443
doi:10.3114/sim.2024.107.03
PMID:38600960
Assessing HCH isomer uptake in Alnus glutinosa: implications for phytoremediation and microbial response Amirbekov A, Vrchovecka S, Riha J, Petrik I, Friedecky D, Novak O, Cernik M, Hrabak P, Sevcu A Sci Rep 20-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10879209
doi:10.1038/s41598-024-54235-1
PMID:38378833
Commodity risk assessment of Corylus avellana plants from the UK Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Civera AV, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Battisti A, Mas H, Rigling D, Faccoli M, Mikulová A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Stergulc F, Streissl F, Gonthier P EFSA J 12-Jan-2024
PMCID:PMC10784871
doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8495
PMID:38222930
Forest carbon stock development following extreme drought-induced dieback of coniferous stands in Central Europe: a CBM-CFS3 model application Cienciala E, Melichar J Carbon Balance Manag 03-Jan-2024
PMCID:PMC10765692
doi:10.1186/s13021-023-00246-w
PMID:38170292
Pervasive associations between dark septate endophytic fungi with tree root and soil microbiomes across Europe Netherway T, Bengtsson J, Buegger F, Fritscher J, Oja J, Pritsch K, Hildebrand F, Krab EJ, Bahram M Nat Commun 02-Jan-2024
PMCID:PMC10761831
doi:10.1038/s41467-023-44172-4
PMID:38167673
Forest age estimation in northern Arkhangelsk region based on machine learning pipeline on Sentinel-2 and auxiliary data Smolina A, Illarionova S, Shadrin D, Kedrov A, Burnaev E Sci Rep 13-Dec-2023
PMCID:PMC10719398
doi:10.1038/s41598-023-49207-w
PMID:38092822
Comparable diameter resulted in larger leaf area and denser foliage in the park trees than in street trees: A study on Norway maples of Karlsruhe city, Germany Lv H, Dermann A, Dermann F, Petridis Z, Köhler M, Saha S Heliyon 13-Dec-2023
PMCID:PMC10767368
doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23647
PMID:38187252

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Diarylheptanoids / Linear diarylheptanoids
Oregonin 14707658 Click to see 478.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-1978(01)00084-9

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